Chapter 22: The Moment of Deception

Suddenly, a stack of papers was thrown in his face, nearly stunning Zhou Kang, who paused for several seconds.

Jiang An’an kindly advised, “I suggest you take a look first. After all, I stayed up all night writing a love story for you and your elder sister.”

Zhou Kang: ???

Who the hell has the mood to read any love stories? At this moment, he just wanted to kill the little brat in front of him. If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have fallen to the point of shoveling dung!

It was a disgrace!

Jiang An’an was already imagining, “I heard that if a submission is selected by a newspaper, there’s a reward of several dollars. Money isn’t everything, but the key is to gain fame, which could bring glory to our family.”

“What submission? You little brat, what trick are you trying to play?” Zhou Kang’s heart sank, instantly filled with a bad premonition. He still tightly gripped the shovel with his right hand and bent down to pick up the scattered papers from the ground.

These draft papers had numbered markings at the bottom, totaling five pages.

As Zhou Kang arranged them in order, his gaze fixed on the large title on the first page, and he was stunned, his face twisting in a grotesque expression.

—— “Qin Xianglian of the Nanxi Brigade”

—— “The sky was filled with evening glow, and the golden rice swayed in the breeze, surrounded by the cheerful voices of the members. However, a ruthless declaration from my educated youth husband left me shivering in fear like I was in an ice cellar.”

This was a simple narrative, with no reading barriers. Both the title and the opening directly captured the reader’s attention, evoking vivid imagination.

The golden rice and the cheerful members suggested a bountiful harvest year, contrasting sharply with the protagonist’s fear and trepidation, making anyone with a hint of curiosity want to read on.

What cold-hearted decision did her educated youth husband make? Would the protagonist’s subsequent fate be the same as Qin Xianglian’s?

Who is Qin Xianglian?

A tragic fictional character from “The Case of the Beautiful Woman,” synonymous with abandoned women.

One is a well-known popular IP, while the other is a hot topic character; the combination of the two creates a sensational discussion.

Zhou Kang’s temples throbbed as he breathed heavily, his eyes seeming to blaze with fire.

He hardly needed to read further; he could already foresee that if this article was successfully submitted, not only would he face backlash, but the entire Zhou family would be subjected to frenzied attacks and repression.

He was so angry that his teeth were grinding: “You’re too naive to think you can threaten me with this? I’d rather we both go down together.”

First, she incited him to report to the police, then stirred up trouble with the Women’s Federation to file a lawsuit, and now she was planning to publish it in the newspaper… How come he never noticed that his sister-in-law could be so troublesome? She was making such a fuss that it felt like she was going to bring the sky down!

Jiang An’an innocently tilted her head, “Brother-in-law, don’t be so angry. We’re family; how could I dare to threaten you? This is clearly cultural exchange.”

Zhou Kang: …

I see you not only dare!

You’re talking nonsense!!

“I heard that many bad elements were sent to work on farms in the northwest. They might not die, but they’d lose half their lives. Even for Duobao’s sake, I can’t do something as treacherous as betraying my family,” Jiang An’an said with a heartbroken expression, looking as if she was saying, “I’m doing this for your own good, but you misunderstand me.”

Zhou Kang felt his head buzzing with anger, but at the same time, he felt a chill run down his spine. That little girl was really ruthless; to avoid his revenge, she was determined to send him far away to the northwest farm for reformation.

“What do you want?” Each word seemed to burst from between his clenched teeth. “You want half of my assets and alimony? Are you dreaming?”

Jiang An’an held up two fingers: “Two-thirds of the assets.”

Ha.

Zhou Kang tightened his grip on the shovel and took two steps forward, thinking it might be better to just kill her.

“Although you only have one-third of the assets, you’re actually gaining a lot,” Jiang An’an raised her eyebrows slightly, wearing an expression that seemed to say, “If you don’t listen to my advice, you’ll regret it for life.”

“…” Zhou Kang was so scared that he jumped and quickly covered his ears.

“First, you can’t refund your train ticket tomorrow, right? Is the job in the capital urgent? I can immediately get the brigade’s proof for you, allowing you to return to the capital smoothly.”

“Second, after your divorce, I can guarantee that my elder sister and Duobao will never disturb you for the rest of their lives. Once you get to the capital, you won’t have any worries and can even find a wife of equal status. A sum of money can buy you peace; isn’t that a good deal?”

“Third, if you get promoted in the future and need a political review, what will happen if the team writes the truth? The words ‘abandoning wife and children’ will follow you for life; a little money can resolve this hidden danger.”

The last statement was even more tempting: “You’ll be gaining; it’s a huge profit!”

Zhou Kang: !!!

His head was buzzing, and at that moment, he was speechless, dry-mouthed, and his mind was in chaos, even feeling like he was going crazy.

Every point she made was so reasonable; he was guaranteed to profit!

No, no, no!

Zhou Kang quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts, desperately reminding himself that all of this was a trap set by Jiang An’an, and her goal was to swindle him out of two-thirds of his assets, at least three hundred dollars.

But three hundred dollars was nothing compared to his future career. The Zhou family was wealthy; as long as he complained a little, he could double that amount from his mother’s pocket.

Thinking it over, it seemed he really would be gaining a lot! If he missed this opportunity, he would regret it for life! Jiang An’an was truly looking out for him!!!

However, before Zhou Kang could stop these terrifying thoughts, Jiang An’an, with her face sunburned and hot, was already considering him: “The Civil Affairs Bureau closes at 5:30, and it’s almost noon now. Time is really tight; we should hurry into the city to handle the divorce procedures; we might still make it.”

Although she didn’t say it outright, her tone was filled with regret, as if Zhou Kang was about to miss out on this benefit.

Thus, the string of rationality in Zhou Kang’s mind snapped, and he tossed aside the shovel, urging, “What are we waiting for? Hurry up and take me to find your elder sister!”

As the two left the cow shed, they were completely unaware that someone behind the shed had overheard their entire conversation clearly.

“Jiang An’an is really eloquent, what a pity. If she could still take the college entrance exam, she might become the first college student from the Nanxi Brigade,” Luo Jiawang lamented, rubbing the old cigarette gun at his waist while secretly observing the attitude of the man across from him.

This newcomer, Zhou Yinghuai, had some connections to Zhou Kang and might very well take out his anger on Jiang An’an.

Zhou Yinghuai also hadn’t expected that the son his aunt described as a refined and handsome young man was not only a thankless wolf and a heartless man but also a brawny fool with a simple mind!

During this rural assignment, his aunt, whom he hadn’t seen in over a decade, suddenly sought him out by all means, asking him to help look after his cousin.

Today, he had originally planned to let Captain Luo take extra care of Zhou Kang, teaching him how to reshape his character through honorable labor, but instead, he unexpectedly witnessed a spectacular show.